CRPF jawan killed, 2 others injured in IED explosion in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum

A CRPF jawan was killed and two others were injured on Friday when the proscribed CPI (Maoist) triggered an IED explosion in a forest in West Singhbhum district, police said.

The incident took place around 2.30 pm, as a team of security personnel were conducting an anti-Maoist operation in Goilkera area, Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar told PTI.

The injured jawans were airlifted to a hospital in Ranchi and their condition is stated to be stable, he said.

One of them, constable Santosh Oraon, succumbed to his injuries during the course of treatment, Shekhar said.

Governor C P Radhakrishnan and Chief Minister Hemant Soren condoled the death of the jawan and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul.

”Today CRPF 94 battalion soldier Shri Santosh Oraon was martyred in an IED blast during a search operation. I salute the martyred soldier. I pray to God to give his family the strength to overcome this unimaginable loss,” Radhakrishnan said. Soren added: ”May God grant peace to the departed soul and strength to the martyr’s family in this hour of grief.” The security personnel were carrying out the operation in Haathiburu, Lowabeda, Chiriabeda and Maradiri forests, where two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered, one of which went off, the officer said.

The other IED was defused on the spot, he said, adding, the operation is still underway.